Table tennis to serve off in second week of December
Table tennis action is set to return in December 2020. It was originally set to be run off on November 27(tomorrow), but that date has been pushed back to the period December 11 to 14.
When it was once safe to engage in a game of table tennis
President of the Guyana Table Tennis Association (GTTA), Godfrey Munroe, is preparing his charges to be match ready in case they are called upon to participate in a competition.
The Guyana Table Tennis Association, in a statement, has said it intends to follow all rules and regulations governing the Ministry of Health’s safety protocols for players. As such, while in consultation, it would also adhere to the guidelines of the National COVID-19 Task Force and the ITTF.
Guyana Times Sport asked the Guyana Table Tennis Association President Godfrey Munroe about the way forward, and he said, “The reason the restart has been pushed (back) is we just want to ensure that everything has been put in place. It is not something of a major issue, but while we have had an estimated date, we realised that we would need more time, nothing major.
“In terms of my expectations, it’s not only about the competition. We have resumed mild training, but we are looking at competitions in early January 2021. Also reintegrating the national team training programme and try our best to see how to bring back our activities slowly.”
Munroe noted that there are key competitions that both males and females will be preparing for. However, he noted that everything is dependent upon what happens at the world stage, as the COVID-19 pandemic is still in effect.
Munroe related that while the schedules are there, the ITTF would restructure them in case of an outbreak. He reiterated that the situation is kind of fluid, as players would need to be tested and quarantined etc., but he is preparing them to be match ready in case of a call-up for overseas competitions.
The Restart tournament will see the introduction of a Top-12 and Top-16 duel format to allow scheduling and time-tabling matches in advance. This will aid in limiting the number of players participating, and allow for social distancing.
With the date pushed back, this would give players time to train and prepare for re-engagement. The games will be streamed online, which would allow for persons to view the matches, and although both national junior boys and junior girls and their senior counterparts will compete, the plan is to have cash incentives for the senior categories and trophies for the Juniors.
